BILL NUMBER: ACR 57ENROLLED BILL TEXT ADOPTED IN SENATE MAY 14, 2009 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 23, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 23, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Eng (Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Bass, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Caballero, Carter, Chesbro, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, Duvall, Evans, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, and Yamada) APRIL 2, 2009 Relative to acupuncture. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 57, Eng. Acupuncture. This measure would proclaim April 23, 2009, as California Acupuncture Day, and would encourage all Californians to consider the use of acupuncture. WHEREAS, Acupuncture has been used in Asian countries for thousands of years to preserve health; and WHEREAS, Acupuncture is widely used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness; and WHEREAS, Acupuncture is a noninvasive, gentle, and proven health care system; and WHEREAS, Acupuncture is recognized as a primary health care profession in California; and WHEREAS, The potential benefits of acupuncture are widely recognized; and WHEREAS, Acupuncture is steadily being integrated into mainstream health care; and WHEREAS, More than 15,000,000 Americans have turned to acupuncture and Asian medicine since it was introduced in this country in the 1970s; and WHEREAS, There is more access to this medicine in California than any other state in the country; and WHEREAS, California has the highest education standards for acupuncturists of any state in the country; and WHEREAS, The risk of side effects from acupuncture are very low and the potential benefits are very high; and WHEREAS, The National Institutes of Health has found that there are many health situations wherein the efficacy of acupuncture is indicated; and WHEREAS, More and more Californians are finding help in this evidence-based and proven medical system; and WHEREAS, An increasing number of health care service plans and health insurers are recognizing the value of acupuncture to their enrollees and insureds; and WHEREAS, Many Californians have come to rely on acupuncturists as their first choice of health care practitioners for low-risk, cost-effective, and reliable health care; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims April 23, 2009, as California Acupuncture Day, and encourages all Californians to consider the use of acupuncture; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.